We currently use Windows in our little firm. Windows 2000 for our server, and a mix of Win 2000 and Win XP desktop systems. However, being the network admin and web designer, the constant calls of such-and-such-a-program constantly locking up (usually Office) or constant virus infections which our virus scanner can't seem to remove eat up far too much of my time, given that I have other things to be doing.

I use Linux already at home (Mandriva 2005 LE) and have been pondering ways of convincing my boss that using Linux would be far better and far more cost-effective than our current joke of a Windows network. There have been two major problems:

* Some of our software is most definitely Windows-only, including our employee clock-in/clock-out program, fax program and banking software. How is Wine with networking software?

* OpenOffice would be great for general office use (given that it supports Word docs) but we use Access and Outlook extensively. Outlook isn't TOO much of a problem (I can export our existing PST files relatively easily) but Access would cause some problems. Has anyone had experience with Crossover?

* Despite years of experience, some of my colleagues are quite computer illiterate and I'm concerned that adapting to Gnome or KDE might put a strain on productivity for the time that they're getting used to it. I recently came upon Ubuntu, which I think given the circumstances would be far better than Mandrake, but the UI is still considerably different from Windows (actually it more resembles a Mac, although I know that can be changed). Has anyone got any tips on how to reduce this?

As much as possible, try and find native alternatives (I'm refering to the fax mostly here). Yet I agree that given your situation, you can hardly change Office, or then not Access.

It would in fact be possible if there's not too much porting to do. For example, using unixODBC, OpenOffice can connect to any database with an Access-like front-end. Or there are specific powerfull free front-ends for MySQL, Oracle, PostgreSQL...

For computer-illiterate people, you have to tell exactly what would make them lost: is it the filesystem? the look? the menu? other?

Yves.

Thanks for the reply. I would love to be able to use native ports. I've actually been trying to gradually shift our software over to open-source, beginning with the least important stuff. Unfortunately, the first example isn't a particularly good one when it comes to Linux - Filezilla. That said I've been quite happy with KBear at home, so if I ever manage to migrate us to Linux then we have a good replacement FTP client.

I have Ooo installed on my work computer here alongside Microsoft Office, and I tend to use that unless Microsoft Office is an absolute necessity (usually for Outlook or Access, as all our PST files are stored on our server). The database is a huge problem. I don't think it would be much of a problem to transfer the database itself - the problem is (not my fault, it was created before I arrived here) that it is quite heavily dependent on Visual Basic routines, so the whole of the very complex UI would have to be redesigned, something for which I do not have the time, nor is it particularly good given that my colleagues are used to what we have now. I'll bear in mind your tips though, even if it means that Crossover would be a temporary solution.

I think what you mention with regards to getting them lost pretty much sums it up, although KDE is about as Windows-like as it gets. The filesystem isn't really a problem, since they don't touch it much. The menu and general structure is another thing - I think they're used to having everything Start/Programs. Can't see why that can't be arranged though.

J

Yes, that's what I wanted to know. So the filesystem is no big matter (and with the GoboHide kernel patch, you can hide at boot "useless" stuff from everyone: /var, /etc, /lib, /proc...).

So that leaves the look-n-feel. That is good news for you because much can be (and has been) done on this aspect. Eg:
http://themes.freshmeat.net/projects/windows98/
http://www.xpde.com/
http://xwinman.org/fvwm95.php
http://themes.freshmeat.net/browse/925/
...
Yves.

A good start would be to get everyone who works at the company to use Open Office 2.0 Beta which by the way comes with a program that is like Access. Yes and to get them to use Firefox instead of IE.

There's two problems with this though:-

* Our database is Access, not like Access. So although we could recreate the whole database and frontend again to be like the old one, it would still require a great deal of reprogramming that we simply don't have time for.

* Betas are all well and good, when it comes to software that our firm literally has a crutch (i.e. if we didn't have it, we'd fold), using untested beta software is not a good idea.

That said, I have one success story to report: my boss gave the all clear for me to start using Linux on my desktop, as long as it doesn't interfere with other machines. It's a way to start :-)

AH ha and what about Mozilla FIrefox? Is it on every computer in the company? Are the people using it as their primary browser? Are they only using IE as a secondary browser as in when they really have to use it?

Getting them to change from IE to a browser such as Firefox that is a http://www.w3.org standards complaint browser and also much more secure than IE, is much more important then getting them to change OS or Office Suite.

Sebastian is right, getting them to switch browsers from IE to Firefox will do a lot to reduce the instances of virus infection-too many of them come to the local PC via IE from infected websites. And the infected websites of course are usually on Internet Information Server on a Windows server, so there you go...

FWIW, we are having quite good results with the Terminal Services functionality in Windows 2000 for reducing desktop support issues. By installing the cruddy software on the terminal server you only have one copy of it to worry about. Linux has good Terminal Services clients.

We are also in the position of trying to wean ourselves off Access, but to be honest some of the development is done outside of hours because that's the only way to get the time.